Internal combustion engine



March 16, 1943. c. E. suMMERs INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed July 24, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVEN TOR.

SUMMERS ,CALEB E. BY s:

ATTORNEYS March 15, 1943. c. E. sUMMERs INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed July 24, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Flags.

INVENTOR.

Y cALEB E.suMMERs BY4 rui-ww ATTORNEYS March 16, 1943. c, E. suMMERs INTERNAL COMBUST ION ENGIN E 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 24, 1940 umm INVENTOR. CALEB E.suMMERs ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 16, 1943 UNITED STATES lf'li'rEN'r oFElcE 2,314,175 INTERNAL coMBUsTroN ENGINE Caleb E. Summers, Orchard Lake, Mich.

Application July 24, 1940, Serial No. 347,254

' 7 Claims. (ci. 12s- 191) '.Ihe present invention relates to internal combustion engines and their operation and has among its objects the ,more elcient supplying of fuel thereto and the more eiiicient utilization of the fuel supplied.

Another object is a method of operation and means by which a substantially full charge of air is introduced into the cylinders at all road loads while the fuel introduced is varied to accord with the load.

Another object is to approach characteristic Diesel part-load efciency in a motor of relatively lowl compression.

Another object is a method of operation and means by which, under light load, a segregated charge of fuel-air mixture is burned to, ir. turn, heat the main and greater charge of air to expand the latter and thereby produce the piston movement.

Another object isto provide for such latter operation under increasing fuel admission up to a predetermined load point and then for substantially discontinuing such segregated action and supplying fuel to the entire charge and igniting the ratter.

Still other objects will readily occur te those skilled in the art upon reference to the following description and the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a plan view of the cylinder head and showing a section of the carburetor on line I--I of Figure 3.

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse section along the line v2---2 of Figure 1, but showing also a section of the intake manifold and carburetor connection.

Figure 3 is a section along the line 3--3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a section along the line 4-4 of Figure`3.

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5--5 of Figure Figure 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Figure 2.

Figure 'l is a partial vertical section on line 'l-l of Figure 8, and

Figure 8 is a side elevation in part of the lower end of Figure 4.

The drawings illustrate by way of example,

` a 'portion of a six-cylinder engine but it should -be understoodthat the invention istequally applicable to engines having a greater or less number of cylinders, such as four-cylinder engines or engines having eight, twelve or more.'

In the drawings, a portion of the cylinder head 'is indicated at II, the cylinders themselves being indicated by the dotted outlines I2. A portion `of the cylinder block I3`and also a portion of a piston I4 are shown in Figure 2 and it should be understood that these together with the remainder of the engine, apart from the illustrated and described in detail, are conventional.

In the drawings, a substantially wedge-shaped combustion chamber I5, communicates through inlet valve I6, with the inlet port Il, and inlet manifold I8, thence to the carburetor I9. The combustion chamber I5, also communicates through the horizontally arranged Venturi shaped openings 2l and 22, with a primary combustion chamber 23, this being a small chamber located to one side of the main combustion chamber I5, into which is fed a primary fuel-air mixture by way of the drilled passage 25, tube 26, distributor 21, and tube 28, from the carburetor I9, the flow being controlled by the valve 24.

As in the conventional engine, the exhaust valve 29 (Fig. l. but otherwise not shown) establishes a communication between the combustion chamber I5, and an exhaust port and manifold in the conventional way.

The inlet valve I6, and the exhaust valve 29, are actuated by rocker arms 3U and 3l respectively, the rocker arms in turn being actuated by push rods 32, resting on conventional tappets and cams not shown. The inlet and exhaust valves, therefore, are timed to open and close in the usual way, and serve Well-known functions.

The rocker arm 30, however, carries an ad justing screw 33, the lower end of which con tacts the valve 2l, a suitable lash being allowed between the end of the screw 33, and the top of the valve stem 24; thus when the inlet valve I6 is opened by the rocker arm 30, the small primary inlet valve 24 also opens, thelopening of the latter valve being relatively less due to its relatively shorter distance from the shaft 3l, about which the rocker arm 30 pivots.

The carburetor I9, provided with a conventional float chamber 66, float 68, and float Valve 69, is adapted to deliver fuel through the jets 52 and 53, into chamber 28A, which may discharge through the tube 28, and to the primary chamber 23, or if valve 59 is open, air entering through the filter 60 reverses the ow of the jet 53, so that it discharges through the openings 5I into the throat of the carburetor.

In the throat of the carburetor are two valves '3l and 38, actuated by their respective throttle shafts, 40 and 4I, and linked together by the linkage l5. These are controlled by a diaphragm 32A and the rod 43, while a spring 1|, normally tensions the valves toward closed position. They, however, cannot close completely since they each have a portion removed as indicated at 31A and 38A.

As the main throttle 36 is opened and the suction of the motor through drill 6| tends to create a vacuum on the diaphragm 32, air pressure entering through opening 10 on the opposite side forces the diaphragm in a direction to open the valves by means of the rod 43 and the crank 44. This movement will continue until the valves are sufficiently open so the pressure difference on the two sides of the diaphragm is just balanced by the tension of the spring 1|. Thus at all operating speeds a low vacuum is maintained in the chamber 13 adjacent the discharge nozzles which together with the position of metering pins 55 and 56, meter the fuel. Also, a greater vacuum is maintained below the second valve which is impressed through the manifold I8 to the com-bustion chamber 23, so there is a tendency to ow from the carburetor through the tube 28. When the motor operates at less than approximately two-thirds load, the metered fuel is all conducted to the combustion chamber 23. When greater than two-thirds torque is required, the valve 59 is lifted off its seat and atmospheric air drawn in through the lter 66, and supplies more air than is discharged through the tube 28, so that the ow is reversed and air and fuel issue through the openings into the throatv of the carburetor and thus by way of the main manifold into the motor. The fuel metered by pin 55 continues to flow through tube 28.

Metered fuel and air flowing in tube 28 toward the primary combustion chamber 23, flows into the distributing block 21 (Fig. 3), which distributor block 21 is connected to each cylinder by a separate tube as 26. These tubes are made to be of substantially the same length so their resistance to flow will be substantially equal.

The cams 62, 62A, 62B and 62C fixed to shaft 46 and cams 12, 12A, 12B and 12C, fixed to shaft 46A, lie under the cross bars 63 which actuate the metering pins and valves and are so formed and arranged as to actuate the pins and valves as follows:

Valve 54, being solely a throttle valve and used to control the flow of mixture to the chamber 23, is actuated only by cam 62, the cam 12 being circular and acting only as a support for the other end of the bar 63.

The cams 62B and 12B controlling the valve 59 are preferably of such form that the valve is not opened by the rotation of either cam by itself, but requires the action of both. The cams 62A, 62C, 12C, 12A may be given any desired form as to control the movements of the pins 55 and 56 chiefly by the movement of the air valves 31 and 38. For instance, the pin 55 is slightly open at idling and as the motor demand increases, will be lifted by the opening movement of the valves 31 and 38, cam 12A being arranged to cause such lifting while cam 62A is arranged to have no eifect. With further increase in motor demand to and beyond a predetermined point, throttle movement begins to lift pin 56 through the action of cam 62C and the pin 55 is lowered somewhat.

With the throttle 36 wide open and valves 31 and- 38 also open, pin 55 is nearly closed, pin

' 56 is well opened, and the valve 69 also open.

The action of the combustion chambers is as follows:

As the piston I4 moves downward on the intake stroke, the valve I6 opens to admit a new charge of air or mixture.- The valve 24 also opens per- The function of the distributor block is to distribute the fuel from tube 28 equally between the various (n the case shown, six) cylinders.

The distributor block designated as a Whole by numeral 21, consists specifically of an outer casing partially lled by a block 21A leaving a small chamber 21B in the upper portion, which block is provided with an axial passage 16, flared at its upper end to provide a funnel 64.

The passage 16 at its lower end divides into branches 13, one for each cylinder, which branches are enlarged near their4 ends and are connected each to a tube 26. Further, each branch 13 opens through a passageway 15 to the chamber 21B. The tube 28 also opens into which has entered through the valve 24,

chamber 21B and is positioned directly over the passages 16, 13, and 14 to the several tubes 26.

Any vapors separated in the funnel 64 will also be distributed to tubes 26 through the passages 65 and 14, so that there will be equal distribution of "both the liquid and vaporous elements of whatever mixture is led in through tube 28.

The metering pins 55 and 56 and valve 53 and a second valve 54 are all operated by means of cams fixed to two shafts 46 and 46a, respectively, the shaft 46 being connected in operating relation through link 48 and crank arms 41 and 49 to the throttle shaft 39, and the shaft 46A being operatively connected to valve shaft 46 mitting a small volume of rich mixture to enter the primary combustion chamber 23. It will be noted the Valve 24 is' not located symmetrically with respect to the chamber 23, but is over to one side adjacent to the opening 2|, which is adjacent to the inlet valve I6.v When the inlet valve I6 is open, as indicated by the position |6A, the flow of air through the valve I6 is deflected so as to enter the passage 2|, and to partially scavenge the chamber 23; biiowing to the distant /location of the valve 24, from the outlet 22, no part of the primary charge leaves the chamber 23.

As the piston I4 moves to upper dead center on the compression stroke, a portion of the gases above the piston is forced through the combustion chamber I5, through the passages 2| and 22 into the primary combustion chamber 23. 'I'he tangential entry of this stream of air gives rotation to the mixture within the combustion chamber 23, sweeping the richer part of the mixture toward the longitudinal middle of the chamber and toward the electrodes of the spark plug 35. Since the spark will be thrown in advance of dead center, and the air will still be flowing into the chamber 23, through the openings 22 and 2|, the expansion resulting from the ignition of the primary charge Iwill reverse the flow through the/openings 2| and 22. The first to enter the combustion chamber I5 is the entrained air, after which the products of combustion will discharge from chamber 23 into chamber I5.

Preferably the passageV 2| is venturi shaped and its easier flow direction is out of combustion chamber 23, while the passage 22 is also venturi shaped and its easier flow direction is into combustion chamber 23. During compression, the.

.valves 31 and 38 are .valves 31 and 38, and valve a balanced mixture now is into chamber 23 through both passages but more rapidly through passage 22. Ignition occurs while gases are still flowing into chamber 23, but as combustion and expansion proceed, the pressure in chamber 23 becomes greater than in chamber I5. At the moment of this reversal, flow continues into chamber 23 through passage 22, and out of chamber 23 through passage 2I. When combustion has reached every part of chamber 23 there will be another interval of balanced pressures in which there will be a flow out of chamber 23 through passage 2l and a flow into chamber 23 through the passage 22.

As the unburned mixture forced into chamber I5 unites with the oxygen and expands, the gases surge again into chamber 23 to be followed at equilibrium pressures by a continued flow into chamber 23 through passage 22 and a flow out of chamber 23 through passage 2 I`. This reverberating pressure action between'the two chambers I5 and 23, and the flow characteristics of the two Venturi shaped passages 2I and 22, cause a commingling of the gases of the chambers I5 and 23, so that the over-rich -mixture of chamber 23 is completely oxidized, partly by being blown into chamber I5, which has excess oxygen, and partly bythe oxygen-rich gases of chamber I5 being forced or drawn into chamber' 23. All this occurs by the time the piston is a little past top dead center.

The maximum richness of the mixture in chamber 23 will be about two and one-half times that of a balanced mixture. This will occur at full-load low speed when there is relatively a great time interval. To expedite the interchange of gases between chambers I5 and 23, the passages, 2I and 22, are made relatively large.` This large size slows down the velocity of burning gases emerging from chamber 23 and together with the horizontal arrangement of passages 2I and 22 prevents the gases from impin'ging forcefully on the wall of chamber I5.

To illustrate the method of operation, We will assume two load and speed conditions. In case I with the motor idling, the speed is gradually raised from five miles per hour to maximum speed. In case II, the throttle is open Wide at five miles per hour and held in that position as the speed increases to maximum.

In starting the motor, after turning on the ignition, the operator partially opens the throttle valve 36 and through the cooperation of the linkage, and the cams 62 and 62A at the same time opens somewhat valves 54 and 55. This provides for'the admission, when the engine is cranked, of air to the cylinders and of a rich mixture of fuel and air to the distributor 21 and thence to the chambers 23, when of course, such mixture is red by the spark plugs.

Case I With the motor idling, throttle 36 is practically closed, maintaining a, vacuum in the manifold of approximately ten inches of mercury, and

at or near the closed position, the leakage past the cut oi edges of the 36 cracked open being suicient to supply the motory with air. Fuel is being fed only through jet 52, which discharges through pipe 28, the distributing tubes 26 through valve 24 into chamber 23, jet 53 remaining closed. The quantity of fuel delivered is just sufficient for or a slightly richer than balanced mixture with the air forced by compression into chamber 23, valve 54 opening proportionately charge is ignited by the products of combustion to the throttle 36 is also nearly closed. The spark plug, 35, and the flow out into the main combustion chamber I5 through passages 2l and 22.

As the load increases up to 40% full torque, i. e., the higher torque required to drive the car at a higher speed, there is no fundamental change in the method of fuel handling. The' throttle 36 will open somewhat more, and with it, the valve 54; the increase in the Vacuum above the throttle, transmitted to the diaphragm chamber through passage 6I causes the diaphragm 32 to open the valves 31 and 38'; the metering pin 55 controlling the jet 52 willbe lifted by the cams 62A and12A, so more fuel will be conducted to chamber 23 to maintain a balanced mixture with greater volume of air entering. At approximately 40% torque, chamber 23 reaches its full load condition; that is, chamber 23 iilled with a, balanced mixtureat substantially air pressure will give the motor a torque equivalent to 40% f the maximum torque.

As more-torque is required, Aand as the throttle is therefore opened further, the metering pin 56 v an over-rich but finally approximately double the v richness required for balanced mixture. This rich mixture when ignited by the spark plug 35, expands and discharges into chamber I5 through passages 2| and 22, combustion being completed by the oxygen contained in the air charge in combustion chamber I5. Also, owing to the disposed venturi shapes of passages 2I and 22, a circulation occurs between the combustion cham-ber 23 and the combustion chamber I5, so the oxygen of combustion chamber I5 is carried into chamber 23 as the over-rich mixture of combustion chamber 23 is carried out to unite with the oxygen in combustion chamber I-5. Thus during the inter- Vals between ignition and the time when lthe piston has started on its downward working stroke, combustion is completed in' both chambers.

When approximately 3A torque is reached and at a speed above forty miles per hour, the position of cams 62B and 12B combine to lift the valve 59, which admits atmospheric air between the jets 52 and 53. The volume of air admitted by valve 59 is greater than the volume of air which is being drawn through tube 28, so a reversal of flow occurs with respect to the discharge from jet 53. The fuel from jet 53 therefore discharges through the tube 58 through the openings 5 I and mingles with the air passing through the carburetor and enters the engine through the main manifold I8, and the inlet ports I1. Thus at approximately 3A load there is a sudden change from all fuel in chamber 23 making an over-rich mixture therein to a substantially balanced mixture in chamber 23 and slightly more than half the balanced mixture in chamber I5. This rare-mixture would not be ignitable by a spark but is ignitable by the two flames which issue through passages 2 I and 22.

As the load further increases up to maximum torque, and the valve 36 opened wider to meet such increase, the valves 31 and 38 open wider, and the metering pin 56 lifts higher, supplying more fuel to be discharged through the tube 5I! and the openings 5I into the main manifold. The full load and the high speed ideal condition is a slightly over-richmixture in chamber 23, and a slightly under-rich mixture in chamber I 5, so

that the total ratio of fuel to air is just balanced. It is noted that the metering pins 55 and 56 and the valve 59 are actuated by the joint movement of the cams 62A, 62B, 62C'and 12A, 12B, 12C acting on their bars 63. 'I'he cams 62, 62A, 62B, 62C are actuated by a-linkage connecting with the main throttle 36 while the cams 12A, 12B and 12C are actuated by a linkage connecting with the air valves 31 and 38; valve 54 is actuated solely by cam 62, the cam 12 being circular and acting only as a support for its bar 63.

Case II Where the throttle is open wide at low speed, and full torque at low speed is required, the throttle 36 is opened wide and therefore assumes a vertical position. The accelerator rod carries the throttle crank 36A still further and actuates the cam 62 after the throttle 36 is wide open. Metering pins 55 and 56 are opened to positions proportioned by the air valves, 31 and 38, also the throttle 36, so as to supply sufficient fuel to give a balanced mixture to al1 the air entering the motor. At the lower speeds, however, all this fuel flows through the tube 28 and is ignited in chamber 23.' As the speed increases to approximately 30 miles per hour, the positionmof the air valves 31 and 38 is such that the cam 12 in conjunction with the position of cam 62 actuated by the wide open throttle lifts the valv, 59,

-oif its seat; so the fuel from jet 53 discharges into the main manifold. .By'keeping all fuel in chamber 23 at the low speed, detonation is prevented. By switching the fuel to both'chambers at the higher speed, rapid combustion is obtained. Since, under the conditions just stated, it becomes desirable to move the cams 62 to 62C after the throttle valve 36 is wide open, mechanism must be provided for this purpose. Such mechanism is clearly shown in Figures 4, 7 and 8.

In these figures the shaft 39 for valve 36 is shown as having `fixed thereto the hub 39A cartying a T-shaped 'arm' 39B, and.has loosely mounted thereon the hub 39C provided with two arms 39D and 39E, set at a suitable angle, and connected respectively to the foot or hand throttle lever (not shown), or both, through link 391i', and to crank arm 41 through link 48.

Hub 39C is maintained upon the shaft by means of a suitable washer and cotter. 'I'he two hubsare rotatable together through the action of a suitable spring 39H, which holds one branch of the T-shaped arm 39B against the rearward surface of arm 39E and, when rotated to full throttle position, the other branch of arm 39B strikes a stop 39K, allcwing arm 39E to continue its movement.

Having described the invention and the preferred embodiment thereof, what is claimed is: 1. In an internal combustion engine, a primary combustion chamber having ignition means therein, and a secondary combustion chamber into which the ignited gases from the primary chamber discharge, the discharge passages being venturi shaped and being directed toward the most distant surfaces of said secondary chamber.

2. An internal combustion engine having primary and secondary combustion chambers connected by a plurality of passages, and inlet valves for each of said chambers, the said inlet valves being located closer to the ends of one of said passages than the other.

3. An internal combustion engine having primary and secondary combustion chambers connected by a plurality of passages, an inlet valve for said secondary chamber in' approximate alignment with the axis of one of said passages and means for directing scavenging air into said primary chamber through the said passage.

4. In an internal combustion engine of the valve-in-head type, a secondary combustion chamber having an abrupt wall at one side with .the upper wall sloping downwardly therefrom,

and a primary combustion chamber connected to said secondary chamber by substantially horizonta passages through said abrupt wall.

5. In an internal combustion engine having cylindersv and pistons, a primary combustion chamber and a secondary combustion chamber, lthe latter being located in a cylinder of said engine over the piston, said combustion chambers being connected together through two similar Venturi shaped passages.

- 6, In an internal combustion engine having cylinders and pistons, a primary combustion chamber and a. secondary combustion chamber, the latter being located in a cylinder of said engine over the piston, said combustion chambers Y being connected together through two similar Venturi shaped passages, said passages having their directions of easier ilow oppositely disposed.

7. yIn an internal combustion engine, a primary.

combustion chamber and a secondary combustion chamber connected by two similar but oppositely disposed Venturi shaped passages, .the size and proportions of said passages being adapted to the rapid simultaneous ilow of gases out of a chamber through one of said passages and into the same chamber through the other of said passages.

CALEB E. SUMMERS. 

